Latest Posts

Big Fred – Slapstick

January 13, 2020

Big Fred has amassed some friends over the past 5 years. Well known in their hometown of Rochester for the band’s off-kilter brand of woolly indie pop, Big Fred has made waves as far as Poughkeepsie–where label Sad Cactus Records is headquartered, and Chicago–where their latest EP Slapstick was recorded. Despite the band’s reach, turns out the sonic twists and turns of Slapstick will be the Big Fred’s last effort, as they’ve decided to call it a day in pursuit of other creative projects. Bummer. Slapstick is our Album of the Week. Slapstick carves out a different space for itself in Big Fred’s repertoire. The five song EP slows things down a bit, dialing down the volatility of the bands previous releases, namely 2017’s LP Oh Hi Hello, and replaces it with a synth-centric mid-tempo haze. Though comparatively stripped down, the tracks maintain an Ariel Pink-esque eccentricity for a sound[...]

Big Fred Releases Swirly Trash-Pop LP

September 6, 2017

Fans of big muffs, small clones, and pop songwriting unite! We’re digging Rochester’s Big Fred, who recently put out a nine-song LP called Oh Hi Hello. OHH is full of swirly, wonky trash-pop that seems tailor made for fans of Mac Demarco or Ariel Pink. The cherry on top of their psychedelic-tinged garage-rock comes from front man Conor McCann, whose distinct vocals add a tasteful trashiness to the mix. On a deeper level, Big Fred touches on themes of companionship and introversion and ponders whether the act of “wanting something” is more fun than actually having something. Check it out via the widget below. If you’d like to support Big Fred, Oh Hi Hello is out now via Sad Cactus records. You can snag it digitally from Bandcamp or purchase a physical copy here. Oh Hi Hello by BIG FRED

BIG FRED Shares Single Off <3pals<3

March 16, 2016

Incoming! It’s no secret that Rochester’s local music scene is teeming with top-qual bands of all genres (personally, I like to call Roc city the “indie rock capital of the state”); best make room for one more. Meet BIG FRED, one of the scene’s fresher additions. Composed of Conor McCann (guitar/bass/vox) and Dylan Vaisey (drums), the duo’s fuzzy, spastic sonic creations are nothing short of interesting. Lead single “Worm” mixes a Pedro the Lion-like lyrical longing with an explosiveness akin to the ever-inventive Wolf Parade. It sounds like throwing a firecracker at a beehive and the subsequent ‘get-the-fuck-outta-there’ that follows—fun-and-games right into life-or-death. The rest of the five-track debut, titled <3pals<3, follows suit with intermittent blasts of sludgy fuzz (the band’s self-coined “trash pop” classification makes almost too much sense), spastic and creative rhythms, and healthy portions of wonderfully janky riffage throughout. Cassettes are available here via the Poughkeepsie-based Sad[...]

1809 Studios Premieres Latest Session feat. Big Fred

January 16, 2015

Its been a minute since we caught up with Macedon’s 1809 Studios and its still fresh video session series, 1809 Sessions. Located just outside of Rochester, the studio has already hosted and filmed some great acts out of the 585 including buzz band Secret Pizza, crooner Jon Valenti, and harpist Mikaela Davis. The studio’s latest installment, the #9 from the young series, comes from a Rochester band called Big Fred. The band does have a Wild Beasts type feel to it though so you are a fan, then maybe Big Fred is up your alley. Check out the clip, produced and filmed/edited as always by studio engineer, Dave Drago, and Roch-singer/songwriter, Jon Lewis, below.